About Glacial Lake Outburst Flood Warning System:
- It is installed at Ghepan Ghat glacial lake in Himachal Pradesh.
- It is developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) under a pilot project funded by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
- Components: It comprises a floating buoy deployed in the water, an automatic weather station on the shore and a glacier vision unit equipped with two cameras.
- Working:
- The floating buoy continuously monitors changes in the water and transmits data at intervals of 10 minutes under normal conditions.
- In an emergency, the system is designed to begin transmitting information within 30 seconds, enabling authorities to detect sudden changes in the lake.
- The automatic weather station records 14 environmental parameters, while the two-camera glacier vision unit continuously monitors changes in the lake and its surroundings.
- All three systems are interconnected through a supercomputer-based analytical platform.
- It will provide disaster management authorities with crucial data for timely risk assessment and preparedness against potential hazards.
- Significance:
- The installation marks a significant milestone in monitoring glacial lakes and assessing potential flood threats in the ecologically sensitive Himalayan region.
- The initiative will also help raise public awareness about flood-prone areas and support disaster management planning.
